Safflower Flower
Description
Safflower is an annual herb whose botanical name is Carthamus tinctorius. It is a member of the Asteraceae family. It has long, spiny leaves and yellow or reddish flowers on a stiff, upright stem. The seeds produce an edible oil. Safflower grows to a height of about 3 ft (1 m) in poor, dry soils in full sun. The origins of this plant are not clear, although some herbalists suggest the basin of the Euphrates River. Today safflower grows wild in Iran, northwest India, and North Africa. It has also spread to the Far East and North America. Safflower is cultivated extensively both as a herb and as a food crop.
Other names for safflower include false saffron, dyer's saffron, American saffron, bastard saffron, Mexican saffron, and zaffer. Despite these names, safflower is in no way related to true saffron, although it is sometimes...
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